Qualcomm Smart Gateway Platform Transforms Connected Experiences in the Home

LAS VEGAS — January 6, 2014 — Qualcomm announced that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Atheros, is driving a new class of smart gateway products with its recently announced Qualcomm Internet Processor (IPQ), enabling a robust Smarthome platform that supports connected devices, systems, applications and things for a richer consumer experience in the home. The smart gateway combines the processing power of IPQ, the Gigabit Wi-Fi of Qualcomm VIVE 802.11ac, the intelligence of Qualcomm StreamBoost technology and an open app environment to enable new services for the connected home. The smart gateway acts as a digital conduit that is designed to improve consumers’ connected experiences in the home, add to carriers’ consumer offerings, and help OEMs and developers further differentiate their products with new software and services.

“We are confident that smart gateways powered by IPQ have the intelligence and processing power to support a growing ecosystem of applications that benefit consumers and service providers,” said Dan Rabinovitsj, senior vice president, Qualcomm Atheros.“ Akamai’s intelligent software and applications, such as Pogoplug’s cloud storage and Qustodio’s parental solution to safely monitor children’s home Internet activity, are setting the stage for what is sure to be a dynamic new network of capabilities and applications enabling the Smarthome.”

The smart gateway acts as an always-on channel for carriers and digital content providers and networking vendors to offer new applications and services that are designed to improve consumers’ connected experiences at home. In addition to broadband data, voice and video, the smart gateway enables carriers to deliver home security, energy management, health monitoring, and other services that expand revenue opportunities and increase customer retention.

Improving Home Experiences

The processing capabilities of the IPQ platform to manage advanced functions such as complex and demanding Internet-based applications and services, enables smart gateways to support a wide variety of applications that bring new capabilities to the home network. One such application is Qualcomm’s StreamBoost technology, which intelligently manages network bandwidth and provides carriers with valuable analytics and remote management capabilities. StreamBoost is a core building block of the Smarthome platform as it intelligently manages bandwidth being utilized by increasing numbers of applications and devices operating in a users’ home network. This creates the highest number of optimal online experiences in today’s connected home.

IPQ also enables gateway manufacturers to differentiate their products with new software services, increased processing power, value-added features and an open source app environment. Qualcomm Atheros offers an SDK that exposes innovative software features including those on StreamBoost and the open source AllJoyn software framework, which is designed to simplify the discovery, connectivity and control of devices, services and applications. Existing developers, as well as new entrants, can leverage a proven platform to fast-track applications that expand the connected home ecosystem.

Qualcomm Atheros is collaborating with a variety of companies to demonstrate other applications that take advantage of the smart gateway platform. As an example, caching, streaming and storage applications are designed to create a more enjoyable media and entertainment experience for the consumer. Home automation services are designed to provide greater convenience and control of the Smarthome, while analytics applications are created to provide simpler ways to manage local resources and diagnose issues. Home monitoring, parental controls and anti-virus features are developed to provide better physical and digital security.

Delivering Applications to the Consumer

At the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Qualcomm Atheros is demonstrating various software and applications that showcase the possibilities of the IPQ-enabled smart gateway. Akamai’s intelligent software demonstrates the ability to optimize delivery and pre-positioning of content such as videos and software. “Extending Akamai’s intelligent software to a powerful smart gateway drastically increases the speed and reliability of accessing content such as videos, software and web experiences by making far more efficient use of resources both from the gateway to network provider and to devices,” said Kris Alexander, chief strategist, connected devices and gaming, Akamai.

Pogoplug, the leading provider of unlimited cloud storage and backup for computers and mobile devices, runs software on the smart gateway, allowing users to attach a hard drive to their Qualcomm Atheros enabled router and instantly access files, photos, music and videos from both inside and outside home. “The Qualcomm Atheros-based smart gateway, coupled with the Pogoplug service, is designed to give consumers speedy and secure access to their content anytime, anywhere, from any device,” said Andrea Chavez, vice president of corporate development, Pogoplug.

Parental control provider Qustodio offers a superior solution to understand, manage and protect children’s Internet activity. “Qustodio on Qualcomm Atheros’ IPQ-enabled platform reinvents parental control. Powerful smart gateways create a new way to protect, monitor and manage devices on the home network. Together with Qualcomm Atheros, we provide seamless out-of-the-box protection for parents who want to keep their kids safer online,” said Eduardo Cruz, chief executive officer, Qustodio.

To see Qualcomm Atheros demonstrating an IPQ-powered smart gateway running various applications for the Smarthome, visit the booth at CES, located at Las Vegas Convention Center, Central Hall, Booth 8252.

Qualcomm announced that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Atheros, is driving a new class of smart gateway products with its recently announced Qualcomm Internet Processor (IPQ), enabling a robust Smarthome platform that supports connected devices, systems, applications and things for a richer consumer experience in the home.